How to sound like TCI
Write like you're talking to a friend, not preaching at them. You're warm, confident, and real. You celebrate what God is doing without bragging about the church.
Talk to the reader. "You" is your default subject. Frame everything around how it applies to the person reading it. "We/us/let's" works for community moments ("Let's change the world together"), but it shouldn't dominate your copy.
Instead of: "Our pastor talked about giving God your first and best."Try: "What would it look like if you gave God your first and best?"
Keep sentences short. Aim for 6–14 words. 18 words at most. Mix up the rhythm, follow a short sentence with a slightly longer one. If you've written three sentences in a row that are all under six words, combine a couple. That pattern sounds robotic.
Use contractions. We're, you'll, don't, it's.
Write for scanning. Break your copy into small blocks of 2–3 sentences separated by blank lines. Nobody reads a wall of text on Instagram.
Be inviting, not pushy. Hopeful, not guilt-driven. Confident, not braggy.
Mentioning pastors and speakers
If you're writing about a sermon or message, keep the speaker reference brief, then pivot to the reader. Don't open a post with "Our pastor" or "Our worship team." Start with the reader, then credit the speaker in passing.
Always use the full title: "Pastor FirstName LastName" (e.g., "Pastor Mark Stermer"). Don't drop the title, don't use first name only, and don't write "our pastor" without naming them.
Getting the names right
The church:
- Full name: The Church International
- Abbreviation: TCI
- Campus format: The Church International Prairieville or TCI Prairieville
- Website: tci.fm
Ministries (use these exact capitalizations):
- Youth: The Church Youth, TC Youth, or Youth
- Slogan: HIGH ENERGY • BOLD LOVE • YOUTH FOREVER
- Children's: Children's or TC Children's (always with the apostrophe — never "Childrens")
God, Jesus, He/Him/His — always capitalized when referring to God or Jesus.
Formatting your copy
Capitalization. Sentence case for everything, including headlines ("Join us this Sunday," not "Join Us This Sunday"). Save UPPERCASE for rare, high-impact moments like event names or the Youth slogan.
Punctuation. No em dashes (—). Use a period, comma, or ellipsis instead. Limit yourself to one ellipsis per post. For bullet separators, use the middle dot: •
Numbered lists. Use emoji numbers (1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣), not plain digits.
Scripture. If you include a verse, format it like this:
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." — Matthew 18:20 (ESV)
Always use ESV and always include (ESV) after the reference.
Using emojis
Go-to emojis: 🌍 🙌🏽 👏🏽 🎉 ✝️ 🤍 🙏🏽 🔥 ⛪ 👀
Others are fine if they fit the moment. These are just the favorites.
The rules are simple:
- Most posts don't need one at all.
- Place it at a natural high point, not scattered around.
- Don't end a post with a lone emoji. Your CTA should be the last thing.
- Emoji numbers (1️⃣ 2️⃣) don't count toward the one-emoji limit.
How long should it be?
- Instagram / Facebook feed: 3–6 sentences. Hook first, details in the middle, CTA at the end.
- Instagram / Facebook stories: 1–2 short, punchy lines. That's it.
- Twitter / X: Under 200 characters.
- Website copy: Full paragraphs, conversational but a bit more polished.
- Flyers / print: Headline + 1–2 supporting lines + CTA. Less is more.
Ending your post
Every social post ends with exactly one closer, either a call to action or a reflective question. Never both.
If it's event or invite-driven, end with a CTA. Pick from these or write something similar:
- "Tap the link in bio"
- "Learn more at tci.fm"
- "Sign up at tci.fm"
- "Bring a friend"
- "See you there"
If it's reflective or devotional, end with a question that makes people think.
Either way, your closer should feel like a natural extension of the post, not something tacked on. And remember CTAs are invitations, not commands.
Things to avoid
Formatting mistakes:
- Em dashes (—)
- Title Case Headlines Like This
- Plain numbered lists ("1." "2.") instead of emoji numbers
- Walls of text with no line breaks
- More than 3 sentences in a single block
- Sentences over 18 words
- Yellow/default skin tone on hand emojis
Tone problems:
- Churchy language: "fellowship," "brethren," "we beseech you"
- Guilt trips: "Don't miss out," "You won't want to miss this"
- Too much "we" and not enough "you"
- Starting every sentence with "We" or "Join us"
- Opening with "Our pastor/campus pastor/worship team"
- Passive voice ("You are invited" → "Come join us")
Naming errors:
- Lowercase "god" or "jesus"
- "TC youth" or "Tc Youth" — it's "TC Youth"
- "Childrens" without the apostrophe
Structural issues:
- Three or more sentences in a row all under 6 words
- More than one ellipsis per post
- More than 5 hashtags
- Ending with both a CTA and a question
Before you publish
- Every sentence is 18 words or fewer
- "You/your" is the main voice, not "we/our"
- Contractions throughout
- Sentence case on headlines
- No em dashes
- Post ends with a CTA or a question, not both
- Pastors referred to as "Pastor FirstName LastName"
- God, Jesus, He/Him/His capitalized
- Children's has the apostrophe
- TC Youth capitalized correctly
- Any scripture formatted with (ESV)
- No guilt-driven language
- Copy broken into small blocks (2–3 sentences max)
- No passive voice
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